Prue Phillipson - Hordens of Horden Hall (41 page)

Early in February Dan came into the study where Nat was reading to her a paper he had written on Isaiah. She saw Dan was carrying a letter and his face showed relief and secret excitement.

“It’s from Captain Wallace.”

“But you are not in the navy now,” Bel cried. The ghastly months of his absence rushed back like a black wave. He was looking happy to be summoned. Did he wish to escape them all again, including Eunice?

“I have never given up my commission. I promised to serve the King.”

“It was a boy’s dream. You are a man now.”

Nathaniel held out his hand for the letter and read it silently. He shook his head at Bel. “You are rushing into unnecessary panic. This is to tell Daniel that the King has given orders that there is to be no refitting of the navy this year. Ships and men are laid off. This is the case even though the peace negotiations have not yet come to any resolution.”

Dan perched his long body on the desk

“Does this mean you are safely out of the navy?” Bel asked.

“No, the picture may change.”

“But you could resign. What about your sixth month promise to Eunice?”

“She has recognised that I made it to spare her a very painful public moment. I will ride over after dinner and tell her what’s happened. She is very open and honest.”

When he had gone, Bel looked at Nat. “Perhaps Eunice is too open and honest. If she had been more mysterious, more alluring he might have been newly married to her and then I think he could have told his captain his navy days were over. ‘I have married a wife, sir, and therefore I cannot come.’”

When Daniel knocked at the dressmaker’s door it was Eunice who opened it.

“I would like you to come for a little walk,” he said simply. “Is it convenient now?”

She smiled. Her light brown eyes looked darker and more sparkly than usual.

“Yes, Grandmother has become so friendly with Mistress Foster, the dressmaker, that they are spending hours together these days. Come in while I fetch my cloak.”

She indicated a room on the left and ran up the stairs which led straight up from the front door. Daniel found his heart beating fast as he watched her retreating figure. How neatly and swiftly she moved!

He waited in the room which must be where Mistress Foster took prospective customers on a first visit. There was a long sofa under the window facing shelves full of rolls of material and a table piled with pattern books.

Eunice was back very quickly like a little pixie under her hooded green cloak.

“I just told them I was going out and they hardly looked up.”

He drew her arm through his and they set out. He was so excited he couldn’t speak as he saw her look up into his face with wonder as if she sensed something momentous in his manner. But she chatted on about her grandmother, perhaps to keep the tension at bay.

“It’s quite comical.
I
was to help the dressmaker but it’s turning out that Grandmother is spending more time sewing with her than I am. I never had a chance to do more than plain sewing but Grandmother is really skilful and though her eyes are not as good as they were she is enjoying doing really fine lacework in the daylight hours. Mistress Foster has a commission for a wedding-dress and they will not entrust me with it at all.” She looked about her. “Where are we heading?”

“Down to the river. Is that all right?”

“Perfectly. It’s quite a warm afternoon for February. Are your parents well and dear Ursula?”

“Very well, I thank you.” It was impossible to talk. He held her closely.

They were descending the steep lane down to the quayside. The river and the bridge to Gateshead were now in sight. There was craft of all sorts plying too and fro.

She looked up into his face. “You’ve come to show me the different boats?”

“No, I want you to come and sit with me on a bench along by the wall. It’s not too cold to sit a minute? We are in the full sunshine.”

She laughed lightly. “No, it’s quite warm. Is there something special about that bench?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you presently.”

“There are children climbing about on it.”

He frowned. “So there are. I hope they are not soiling it.”

As soon as they were near enough he called out, “You boys, the bench is for weary folk to sit on. Will it please you to give place to this lady and go and play elsewhere.” He fished a sixpence from his pocket and threw it a little distance from the bench. “You are to share it. An apple or a bun each.”

They rushed for it and the quickest snatched it up. The others, surrounding him, shouted, “It’s for all of us.” He nodded and they all scampered off along the quay, one of them turning to call out, “Thank you sir,” to Daniel.

Eunice peered up at him from under her hood. “That was well done, Daniel.”

They sat down and she threw back her hood and turned her face to the sun.

“It’s almost springtime.”

He swallowed hard. The moment had come. He turned to face her and took both her hands.

“Eunice, I want to tell you something I did when I was a little boy. I caught a moth that was fluttering on the kitchen window at home. I thought I would make a pet of it and put it in a little box. I could hear it fluttering inside and I took it up to my room and set it on the shelf where I kept my few books. Then I forgot about it. It was half hidden by a book leaning against it. When I next looked the moth was dead and I felt very guilty.” He paused.

“Oh,” she said, “that was sad.”

“But I didn’t learn from it because that little moth was you and I did it all over again. When I learnt you had almost certainly died of the plague I felt guilty.”

She looked at him with wide eyes. “Why? It was not your fault?”

“I thought of that moth. I told my mother when we were admiring the gardens of the Baker’s Hall. I said I couldn’t stop thinking of you and how you were like that little moth, fluttering for your life in that prison. Then we went to see you and your father before we left London.”

“Oh!” she cried, “don’t speak of that. I behaved so badly.”

He shook his head. “You wrote that letter to my mother. I kept it a long time after I wrote back to your grandmother. I wanted you to know we had received it. I thought of you often, but then came university and my friendship with Henry and I had it fixed in my mind that women were trouble – after my experiences with the French cousins – and I wanted to join the navy. There was such excitement when we came to London. Henry and I kissed the King’s hand. I could have come to see you before we went on board ship but I didn’t. I was neglectful as I was with that poor little moth and your grandmother kept talking of marriage and I wasn’t ready for that. Then of course you died. Or I thought you had. I felt something precious had slipped from me and I was very sad.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I was remiss in not trying to contact anyone. I thought I was quite alone when father died. I had no money till I found some work and then it was a pittance.”

“That was dreadful. Let’s not think of the past then. I have had today a letter from my Captain of the
Elizabeth
that there is to be no refitting of the navy this year, no fresh manoeuvres. I am free and if I am called upon at a new muster I will resign my commission because, I trust, I will have something more important to do.” He realised he was still clasping her hands. They had warmed up under her gloves from the warmth of his grasp. He drew a deep breath. “Eunice, I love you. Before God, I do. The six months is not up but I cannot wait any longer. I didn’t know how much I would miss you when you left the Hall but we have had some good walks since and I believe you know me better. I ask you now, will you accept me as your husband. Can you ever love me enough for that?”

Tears were running down her cheeks. She choked out, “Oh Daniel, I have been in love with you from the moment you stood in my room at Grandmother’s and spread out your arms like a guardian angel.”

He was astonished. “But we had scarcely spoken two words together!”

“I know. I said ‘in love.’ I promised myself I would never marry unless a devout man I could love and respect came to me and asked for my hand.” She looked him steadfastly in the eye. “Now it has happened. Oh Daniel, I will, I will marry you.”

She drew her hands from his and clasped him round the waist and positively melted into his arms. He thought of his mother’s words. How understanding she was! Oblivious of passers-by he drew her close and kissed her on the lips. She didn’t withdraw. This was indeed a new, a passionate Eunice.

A group of youths walked by and the sound of their jeering laughter finally reached them. They separated, both blushing hotly, then their eyes met and they laughed aloud from sheer joy.

“Come, my darling one. We must tell the world,” he said.

He took her hand and they stood up. She turned to look back at the bench.

“You chose this spot. Why?”

“It was where my mother and father first met, where she claims they both fell instantly in love though many months passed before they met again. And you are in green as she was. Father always thought of her as his Spring maiden. If you and I can have a marriage like theirs I will indeed rejoice.”

She nodded. “You have her warm impulsive nature and I will help you to learn his greater caution and gentle wisdom. I thank God I can be their daughter now.”

They walked slowly up The Side again, too happy for speech

At the dressmaker’s house she said, “You must come in. Grandmother is entitled to be the first to know that what she urged so often has truly come to pass.”

She led him up the stairs to the sewing-room. The two ladies were working under the south facing windows where the light was excellent. There was a fire in the hearth although the afternoon sun had also warmed the room.

Eunice went in first and walked straight up to Celia and kissed her. Daniel hesitated in the doorway till he heard the words, “My betrothed is at the door.”

Celia looked round and jumped up with a shriek to throw a white sheet over the work she and the dressmaker were doing. “Mercy on us, he mustn’t see it then.”

When it was safely covered she said, “Well young cousin, you’ve done it at last.” She clapped her podgy hands and cried, “Look round, Nellie Foster, there’s the bridegroom himself, Sir Daniel Wilson Horden.”

Nellie, who was as thin as Celia was plump, grinned round at him. “Ay, lad. I knew the first time I opened the door to you what was coming.”

Eunice peeped under a corner of the sheet. “Why do you cover this? It is for some unknown customer.”

“No, you silly girl. It is for you. Have I not said for years that your day of happiness would come? You all thought old Celia was a nuisance with her predictions but Nellie and I were determined to be ready when it happened. We already had all your measurements. When is the day? We are nearly ready for it now.”

Eunice looked up at Daniel. “You promised the village a summer party.”

He stepped up to her and clasped her hand. “If I can wait till then.”

Celia now stretched up her arms to him. “My grandson-in-law!”

He kissed her on both cheeks. “Well, Grandmamma, you have always been a step ahead of us.” Mischievously he reached to the sheet.

She screamed, “No, don’t you look. It’s unlucky.” Then she cocked her head on one side. “Am I the first to know?” She was delighted to find she was. “Well, off you go home and tell your parents. Eunice shall stay here and try this on. Did you come on horseback?”

“I walked.”

“Well, she can’t walk there and back here. It would be nightfall. She must stay here till you’re wed you know. It wouldn’t be proper else.”

Eunice looked at him wistfully. “I will come to the door with you.”

A long kiss took place before the street door was opened and Daniel, bursting with joy, almost ran the four miles home to make his announcement.

A week before the wedding Eunice walked over from Newcastle with a bundle of newspapers.

“You will be saddened by this, Daniel.”

She handed them over.

He was about to scold her for walking on a June day that was chilled by a sea-fret, when his eye caught the words: ‘Devastation in the Medway.’

Sitting down on the window seat in the parlour with his arm round Eunice he read the shocking news that the Dutch fleet had come up the Thames, broken the chain at Chatham and fired many of the English fleet, the
Elizabeth
among them.

He had already written to Captain Wallace that his duties to improve his estate and the obligation to be with his new bride compelled him to resign his commission in the navy.

“But is this not a sign, my dearest, that I was
meant
to finish with the navy? England may sometime be a great sea power again but it will hardly come in our day.” He read on. “My God, they have towed away the
Royal Charles
and we have sunk many of our smaller ships to block the river but some were carrying vital stores. Meanwhile the King is dallying with the Lady Castlemaine. I am sickened by all this.”